Page 97 of Dream Weaver

In truth, I’d never looked into the details. I pulled out my phone and dialed Ingo again, then cursed. Still no answer.

And no end to the questions in my mind. Was Harlon back and at full power? Was he involved with Liselle?

“Given that the lucky ax is missing…” Cooper started, then trailed off. After a heavy pause, he continued. “So…I’m about to say something you might not want to hear.”

I waited, digging my nails into the seat.

“You need to be real careful using magic if you don’t know exactly what it’s capable of.”

I gulped. He had a point there.

“I do. I will. I mean, I’ll try,” I stammered.

Which pretty much summed up my problem, didn’t it?

Cooper looked at me, and I looked at my feet.

Silence settled over us, so thick and heavy, it pressed over my body.

A few minutes later, we turned onto the main road, and not long after, Cooper pulled over in a supermarket parking lot. All the vehicles parked there were covered with a layer of dust. A young guy walked up to his van and shook his head, then drew a smiley face in the rear window. Another person cleared their windshield with an ice scraper. We watched them in silence.

Finally, Cooper spoke. “Well, you did a good job fighting off whoever was responsible for that storm.”

I looked at my feet, proud but frightened too. “I have no idea how.”

A little like the lucky fire ax, I supposed.

Chills went down my back. What if I was inadvertently throwing magic around? What if others could capitalize on that somehow?

And, shit. There was a very thin line betweeninadvertentandnegligent. What would the ADMSA have to say about that?

Cooper looked at me. “No idea at all?”

I shook my head. “No. Metal, fire — I can work with those. But not weather.”

“And yet, you stopped the storm.”

I closed my eyes, trying to replay what I’d instinctively done. “All I did was deflect it for a little while.”

He snorted. “That’s ‘all,’ huh?”

My shoulders sagged. I prayed Cooper wouldn’t ask mehowI’d done that deflecting, because I wasn’t sure. I’d just acted on instinct.

The upholstery of the pickup’s front seat squeaked as Cooper leaned over and slid an arm across my shoulders.

“Sorry.” He tipped his head against mine. “Not accusing. Just trying to understand.”

I laced my fingers through his and held on tightly, praying all this magic wouldn’t drive him away.

My phone rang, and I grabbed it, eager to hear from Ingo.

But it wasn’t Ingo calling. It was Claire.

“Hi, Mommy!”

Rays of sunshine illuminated my soul, and my heart fluttered on angel’s wings.

“Hi, sweetie! Did you have a good night?” I asked.

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